


One More Dance With My Cinderella

by ems_specter



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Angst, Background Relationships, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark romantic relationship, Canonical Character Death, Family, Flangst xD, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, POV Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark father and son relationship, mentions Tony having a crush on Rhodey, ps. hover on some links, uncle steve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-01-27 10:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12579604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ems_specter/pseuds/ems_specter
Summary: The first time Steve held the squirming baby in his arms, he fell in love.ORThree times Steve held Tony for a dance and the one time he had to let him go.





	1. The Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I was too excited to post this so I decided to turn it into a multi-chap. The second one is almost done and I already have an idea on how I want to go with the last two chaps.
> 
> This was inspired by Steven Curtis Chapman's [Cinderella](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrWMBC6yoME) (yet I was listening to Hyuna's [Babe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GhDbsiPU3g) while writing most of this. Fantastic!). I was originally going to go full on AU, like, non-powered and all that jazz and have Bucky as Steve and Peggy's son and I was like, _nah, let's go with Tony's Uncle Steve instead_ and boom! This is happening.
> 
> This isn't edited and I don't have a beta so I apologise ahead for any mistakes.

**Age: 1 week**

The first time Steve held a squirming Tony in his arms, he fell in love.

Howard had looked for him, had never stopped searching, firmly believing their soldier would have a proper burial, one a hero deserved.

(On one memorable moment, after they argued about Howard not doing the same for Bucky’s body after the war, after Steve had asked if Howard didn’t think Bucky deserved a proper burial, _he’s more of a hero than I ever could be, Howard_ , the brunet had confessed to believing Steve would still be alive because of the serum.

They didn’t speak for two full weeks but they have become actual friends after.

Steve wasn’t ashamed to admit it was because of Peggy that he and Howard had reconciled)

Peggy had been married when he woke up. It had hurt, true, but expecting a woman as amazing as her to wait for a practically dead man was simply cruel and selfish. It took a while, knowing the woman he could have fallen in love with had moved on, but he had accepted the fact and was happy for her.

Howard has married as well, to a smart and beautiful woman named Maria. Steve can see the intelligence hiding behind her warm blue eyes, sparkling softly and then blazing when needed. He could see why Howard would marry her—Howard has always liked a woman who was smart over anything else, her physical beauty, along with her kind and mischievous heart, was simply a bonus.

He helped S.H.I.E.L.D. every now and then but he was not on active field duty. He trained the new recruits and was trained by, and trained with, the more seasoned agents. He was only called when the situation was too dangerous for agents who weren’t enhanced like he was.

(S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Howard, has been trying to recreate the super soldier serum, just enough to enhance a human’s healing and strength—not quite to Steve’s level of enhancement but enough to give some of their soldiers and their agents an advantage.

Steve would not find out about this until the early eighties, the consequence of his body being found was to give Howard that missing part of the equation to recreate the serum faster.)

Years passed and within what felt like a blink of an eye, it has been five years since he was taken from the ice. His aging has slowed but only by a miniscule amount, not entirely noticeable unless you were looking for it. Along with the discovery of his aging was the announcement of Maria’s pregnancy.

The couple has been trying for a child for a while now and the announcement of the pregnancy was welcomed with great enthusiasm. Most of their friends have been fussing over the pregnant woman, even when she wasn’t showing yet. It was quite a difficult pregnancy, seeing as Maria wasn’t young anymore, even if she was younger than Howard.

Finally, on May 29, 1976, Anthony Edward Stark was born.

He was away on a mission when Anthony was born, so he wasn’t able to visit the new parents until a week later. After debrief, he went straight to the Stark manor—[stealth suit](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51b3dc8ee4b051b96ceb10de/5527b362e4b037981d9331ce/5527b371e4b0cf7ec2795c75/1428665213808/the-evolution-of-captain-americas-unifrom-stealth-2.jpg) and all. Maria was still on bedrest, limited only to the same floor where her and Howard’s room was.

When Steve arrived, Edwin was the one who welcomed him, seeing as Howard was at work.

(As it turned out, even when he has his firstborn, Howard couldn’t take a break from Stark Industries.)

He was filled with nerves, meeting his godson for the first time, and he knew Edwin was aware of this but the other man was kind enough not to say anything. When they reached the nursery, Maria’s voice filled his ears. He slows his pace until he came to a stop, halting Edwin along with him as he listened to the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtdC4If0tyM).

“Not even a month old and you’re already spoiling him.” Steve said with a smirk when Maria finished the song, pushing the door open. She didn’t even flinch upon their entrance, giving Steve the assurance the new mother knew they were there.

“I’ll give the _world_ to my little darling.” Maria cooed at her son, brushing her nose gently against the infant’s nose, making him gurgle. Steve felt his chest constrict at the sound. “Do you want to hold him?” Maria asked, finally taking her attention from her son which the boy didn’t seem to like. Only a week old and he was already a mama’s boy.

Before Steve could respond, Maria was there, guiding him on how to position his arms. Maria made sure the infant was placed high on his chest, “He can’t see that far yet.” She whispered, just as enraptured as he was by the wide amber eyes.

(As Tony grew older, Steve will realize the boy’s eyes were actually heterochromatic, colours changing constantly, playing along with the light depending on the environment.)

He cradled the infant gently in his large arms, making sure he would not drop the boy. He was certain the wonder in his eyes was obvious but he couldn’t care less. He was holding his _godson_ , this tiny little being who already had Steve wrapped around his tiny little fingers.

“Hello, Anthony.” He whispered, moving so he can let his finger feel the baby’s soft cheek. “I’m your uncle Steve.” He glanced at Maria for a moment, but Anthony demanded attention without even trying. “I will protect you with my life, I swear.”

“You’ll be the most protected little boy, won’t you, love?” Steve saw Maria glance behind him, probably at Edwin, before flitting her gaze to him and back to her son.

As if he could already understand what they were saying, Anthony waved his arms widely, eyes squinting.

Not even a year old yet and already, Steve was in love with this little boy.


	2. 4 years and 7 months old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Yep, definitely Edwin’s fault_ , Steve thought with a soft sigh but a smile given to Tony, nonetheless. “Which prince is throwing the ball?” Tony usually saw people he looked up to as royalty—from kings and queens like him, Howard, Maria and Peggy, to princes and princesses like his older cousins.
> 
> “Prince Bucky!” Tony exclaimed, ducking his head shyly, the flush on his cheeks now more of a blush. Steve almost forgot the kid developed some sort of crush on his best friend, constantly asking for stories with Bucky in them. He didn’t really notice a pattern until it was too late; Bucky’s now a hero to Tony. He couldn’t really decide if he should laugh or cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not edited and no beta. Sorry for any mistakes.

“Uncle Steve!”

“Master Anthony!”

Steve didn’t have much warning except for Edwin and Tony’s voices before his legs were tackled by the little boy. If he didn’t have the serum running through his veins, he probably would have fallen over.

“Hey, kid.” Steve laughed and bent down to pick the giggling boy up. He peppered Tony’s face with butterfly kisses, the boy trying to push him away. He has been gone for an undercover mission after confirming his gut feeling about S.H.I.E.L.D. being infiltrated. Everything was quite messy to him but Peggy and Howard, along with Edwin, made a great team and he knew they would be able to resolve the problem at some point. He knew Hydra would mess up somewhere along the line.

For now, though, he’d get to spend time with his favourite godson.

“Mister Rogers.” Edwin said with a sigh, stopping before him and Tony.

“It’s just Steve, Edwin. How many times do I have to tell you that?” He replied drily, settling Tony on his hip with one arm while sneakily moving his free hand to tickle him. The boy giggled, hiding his face in Steve’s neck. Edwin simply rolled his eyes, seeing as they’ve had the same argument numerous times, then smiled fondly, his eyes focused on the little boy in his arm.

“Stop it, Uncle Steve!” Tony squeaked, trying to remove Steve’s hand with both of his own. With the way the boy was squirming and how much stronger Steve than he was, it was futile.

“I’m not doing anything.” He responded innocently, eyes widening for effect, his fingers never stopping from moving over Tony’s ticklish spots.

Tony changed tactics and wrapped his arms tightly around Steve’s neck. “Can you pretty please stop, Uncle Steve?” the boy breathlessly said in the sweetest tone, one he wasn’t even aware he was using.

(In years to come, that soft, sweet tone of Tony’s will get him whatever he asked of Steve and everybody else who loved him. Tony would never truly realize he had a tone which made people give into whatever he wanted since it rarely happened anyway.

Steve would never tell him, of course, neither would Edwin and Peggy and everybody else who Tony had wrapped around his little fingers.)

Howard and Maria came downstairs, the latter with worry clearly written on her face. Steve realized this would be the first time Maria would be separated from Tony for more than a few hours. When she had to go to school to teach, she could bring Tony when needed and just place him in the playpen the school had allowed her to place in her classroom. When Tony got older, he could just sit at the back and go over the work his tutors had given him.

(It didn’t surprise anyone Tony turned out to be a genius. He had shown great potential at an incredibly early age and it had worried both Steve and Maria at first, but the boy seemed to be doing well. Howard was proud of his son, of course, but even he couldn’t hide the fear of Tony not coping well.)

Edwin took their bags and excused himself so he could put their bags in the car.

“Thank you for volunteering to help with Tony, Steve.” Howard said with a smile at him and a hand on Tony’s back. The boy has finally removed his face from Steve’s neck and turned to smile at his father which was returned. “Normally I’d agree with Maria to take Tony with us but I have a few errands to finish and I don’t think Tony can handle the quick changes of time zone he might experience.”

“It’s fine, Howard. You know I love taking care of Tony.” He smiled and kissed the boy’s temple.

Maria reached out for Tony, which the boy returned, and Steve let him be carried by his mother. Maria grunted, Tony starting to get a little too heavy for her. “You’ll behave for your Uncle Steve, won’t you darling?” Maria’s soft voice reached his ear but the words were for Tony alone. The boy nodded with a wide smile and nuzzled his mother’s neck.

Steve and Howard watched as Maria rubbed Tony’s back, fingers grazing the soft hair at his nape now and again as if she didn’t want to let go. From the way Tony’s arms keep on tightening and loosening around his mother’s neck, he seemed to share the sentiment. He may be Howard in a lot of obvious ways but Steve knew he’ll always be a mama’s boy.

“The car’s ready.” Edwin appeared a moment later, cutting Maria and Tony’s time short. The boy had a small pout, which Steve found amusing, while Maria simply smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

“We’ll see you soon, alright, darling?” She kissed Tony’s pout away, making the boy smile and give her a kiss of his own. Maria laughed and rubbed their noses together as Tony giggled.

The boy was passed back to him as Howard mentioned they had to leave. Maria ran her fingers through Tony’s soft locks, down to the back of his head and then neck and kissed his forehead one last time. She wriggled her fingers when the car door closed, the boy in his arms mirroring her.

They would be gone for two weeks, two and a half at max, but they would be travelling from state to state and to two or three countries. They had to compress everything to make sure they would be home before Christmas.

*

On the day before Howard and Maria were supposed to return, Steve was woken by Tony jumping on his back and then bouncing up and down chanting, _Uncle Steve_ excitedly.

The blond groaned and turned slowly, giving the boy enough time to get off him. Contrary to popular belief, he wasn’t actually a morning person. He woke up early when necessary but more often than not, he woke up late and took his jog and most of his workout late in the afternoon.

“Wassit, buddy?” Steve mumbled, eyes still closed. He had a feeling Edwin was to be blamed for Tony’s energy this morning. He just didn’t know _how_ yet.

“Wake up, Uncle Steve! Come onnnnn!” the boy whined and jumped on his stomach instead, causing the blond to groan at the sudden weight, and proceeded to bounce, as if that would wake him faster.

Steve opened one eye to look at his godson, hoping it would be enough for the boy.

Tony was flushed with the biggest grin on his face, a brown paper in one hand which he waved in front of Steve’s face. “Look, Uncle Steve! I’ve got an invitation to the ball!” the boy exclaimed as an explanation. For a four year old, Tony was incredibly articulate.

Steve slowly rose to a sitting position, forcing Tony to slide down onto his lap instead. “I can see that.” He grunted, offering his hand palm up to ask the boy for the piece of paper. He squinted his eyes as he tried to read what was written.

Young Master Stark:

You are cordially invited to the Winter Ball to be held tomorrow night at the palace gardens. The ball would serve as both celebration for the young prince´s safe return and to find the prince a spouse. All eligible gentlemen and maiden are expected to be of attendance.

_Yep, definitely Edwin’s fault_ , Steve thought with a soft sigh but a smile given to Tony, nonetheless. “Which prince is throwing the ball?” Tony usually saw people he looked up to as royalty—from kings and queens like him, Howard, Maria and Peggy, to princes and princesses like his older cousins.

“Prince Bucky!” Tony exclaimed, ducking his head shyly, the flush on his cheeks now more of a blush. Steve almost forgot the kid developed some sort of crush on his best friend, constantly asking for stories with Bucky in them. He didn’t really notice a pattern until it was too late; Bucky’s now a hero to Tony. He couldn’t really decide if he should laugh or cry.

“Oh?” Steve smiled innocently, handing the paper back to the boy. “Is that why you’re so excited? Because Prince Bucky’s looking for a spouse?” He pulled Tony closer to him, right against his chest and rubbed their noses together, making the boy giggle.

“Yes! You have to teach me to dance so Prince Bucky will marry me!” Tony exclaimed, eyes wide and bright and pleading. And really, how could say no to those eyes?

(Steve might have grown in the early 1900s but he was open-minded. To him, love was love regardless of gender or skin colour he might have been raised as a Catholic but he always saw discrepancies on religious teachings. If God loved their children, why condemn someone who simply loved another who happened to be of the same gender? Of someone who happened to have a different skin colour? It just never made sense to him. And so he believed in God but not in what men were teaching.)

“Alright.” He got off his bed, taking Tony with him and placing him by his hip as he walked out of the room. “But we’ll have breakfast first, okay?”

The boy agreed easily enough, buzzing with so much energy that he started running once he put him down when they reached the bottom of the stairs, calling out, _Jarvis! I wanna eat breakfast now! Uncle Steve’s teaching me how to dance_ and Edwin’s amused reply of, _very well, young sir_.

When they finished, he managed to convince Edwin to let him and Tony do the dishes, knowing how much work the butler still had, especially with Maria and Howard returning in two, maybe three days. He had the radio playing in the background as he and Tony sang along when they knew the words to the song.

As they were drying their hands after doing the dishes, Billy Joel’s _Just the Way You Are_ started playing, the sound of the keyboard opening the song. He turned to face his godson, took a deep bow with a small smile on his face and said, “Would you give me the honour of a dance?” Billy Joel’s voice crooned from the radio as he offered his hand to the boy.

Tony’s eyes lit up, smile wide enough to split his face, “Why yes, good sir!” He took a clumsy bow, imitating the blond, and took the offered hand. Steve kept his body bent so Tony wouldn’t need to stretch his arms up.

They moved around the kitchen, then to the living room until the song ended, Steve twirling Tony. When the sound of the piano started, the blond picked the boy up in his arms, moving one hand to hold Tony’s, as if they were of the same height, dancing together. The boy giggled but placed his free arm around Steve’s neck.

“Uncle Steve, Bucky isn’t gonna carry me when we dance.” Tony protested halfheartedly, smile wide as ever.

“Oh? But Prince Bucky is just as strong as I, Young Master Stark.” Steve said in an exaggerated English accent. “He would want to keep you close to his chest.” He winked as Fred Astaire’s voice started to fill the room. “Someday, when I’m awfully low…” He started to sing along. He was glad they’re playing the original version from the movie. He could recall watching _Swing Time_ with the Barnes siblings when it came out.

As the song came to an end, Steve lifted Tony up high and turned. The boy giggled just as the phone started ringing, which got both their attention. He put Tony’s right at his hip, waving at Edwin to silently tell him he would answer the phone.

“Stark residence.” He answered, making a face at Tony to make him giggle.

“ _Hello, Steve._ ” Maria’s voice filtered through the phone. Steve could hear the noise of a crowd in the background.

“Maria.” Tony’s face brightened even more upon hearing his mother’s name. “How are you guys doing?”

“ _We’re doing fine, thank you for asking. And you?_ ”

“We’re great, actually. Tony’s been invited to a ball for _Prince Bucky_.” Steve bounced Tony, making the boy giggle. “Do you want to talk to him?” He asked, Tony’s hands reaching for the phone even before Steve finished the question.

“ _Yes, please._ ” Maria hummed, voice seemingly amused, as if she already knew of Tony’s excitement.

Steve passed the phone to the boy who quickly grabbed it. “Hi mommy! Uncle Steve’s teaching me how to dance.” Tony greeted enthusiastically. “Uh huh.” The boy giggled at whatever Maria said. Steve could probably hear Maria if he focused enough but he wanted to give them privacy. “So Prince Bucky’d marry me!” he replied in tone which implied it should have been obvious. “Yeah, okay. When are you coming home, mommy?” Tony had started to unconsciously play with the hair at the back of Steve’s neck. “Okay. I love you, too, mommy!” The boy offered the phone back to him, “Mommy wants to talk to you, Uncle Steve.”

“Hey.” He greeted once he put the phone back to his ear. Tony’s attention was now focused on playing with Steve’s hair.

“ _Hey._ ” Maria greeted back. “ _We’ll be home by tomorrow, maybe the day after that._ ” She said over the phone. “ _Just one more errand to run and we’re done._ ” Steve could hear the relief in her voice, knowing how much she must be missing her son.

“Alright. See you two, then.” Steve moved the phone a little closer to Tony, turning his body a little so the boy is closer to the phone’s mouthpiece. “Say goodbye to your mom, Tony.”

“Bye-bye mommy! I love you!” Tony exclaimed. Steve and Maria said their own goodbyes and hung up. They still have a ball to prepare for.

(Later, he’d wish he had talked more to both Maria and Howard.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two may take a while because, well, I'm me.


	3. Intermission: 4 years and 7 months to 5 years and 2 months

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At his age, Tony still hasn’t fully grasped what happened but he was aware both his mom and his dad would never be coming home. Steve could see the awareness in the boy’s eyes, could see him struggle not to run to the music room to play the piano with Maria or to go to Howard’s workshop to ask for help with whatever project he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was going to do a quick run-through of Howard and Maria's passing for the next chapter but, well, it seems a single sentence has a large effect on people and I didn't want you guys to feel like I simply glossed over the death of Tony's parents so I did a ( _really_ ) short one to show the immediate effects of their death.

Losing both Maria and Howard at the same took a toll on both Tony and Steve—Steve had lost two dear friends and Tony lost both parents at the same time. The usually hyperactive boy who always smiled was now quiet and withdrawn. At his age, Tony still hasn’t fully grasped what happened but he was aware both his mom and his dad would never be coming home. Steve could see the awareness in the boy’s eyes, could see him struggle not to run to the music room to play the piano with Maria or to go to Howard’s workshop to ask for help with whatever project he had.

Steve has been an orphan, too, but he was old enough to process the information, had been aware his mother was going to leave him permanently. The grief was as strong, true, but at least he had been prepared, had the time to come to terms with it.

He was at a lost on how to help his godson.

Howard had been prepared, and so was Maria, in case either or both of them died. Howard had divided his company shares among Tony, Peggy and him, with Tony obtaining most of it. He had left Steve as Tony’s guardian, giving the blond the power to hold Tony’s shares until he could inherit the company.

There was a lot of other legal talks in the will but the gist of it was that Steve and Peggy together, along with the shareholders who shared Howard’s views for the company and was loyal to him, had power over the company.

(Maria had never liked the weapons building of SI and convinced Howard to take the company in a different direction. When he didn’t renew the contract with the military and announced the cancellation of weapons when Maria got pregnant, there was outrage but he had been prepared and presented a sophisticated line of medical equipment. The change in direction might have lost them a few investors but gained them a lot more. Obadiah was one of the ones they lost in the end, and to be frank, Steve was glad for it. He had never liked Stane.)

Steve was doing his best to help Tony, both Edwin and Peggy had offered to take care of everything else so he could focus on his godson.

(Tony was going to therapy because they all knew the boy still needed some professional help. Dealing with a child in grief was difficult but dealing with a genius one seemed impossible some days.)

On bad days, he and the boy would simply be lying in bed, Tony curled up against his side, trying to make himself as small as possible, as if he wanted to disappear, other times, he’d have the boy in his lap, sobbing and crying for his parents. On good days, they would be on the couch, Tony watching cartoons or reading while Steve sketched. Sometimes they would bake together, a small smile slowly tugging on the boy’s face. There were times when Steve would be painting and Tony would read to him, or times where he would be reading a book while the boy dismantled any machine he could his hands on and then put it back together.

As the weeks progressed, the good days started to outnumber the bad days. They decided to celebrate Tony’s birthday privately—just him, Peggy’s family, Edwin and his wife, and Tony—since the boy didn’t seem to want large crowds.

Steve knew Tony was far from being okay, but he had faith in his godson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm glad you guys are liking this so far. I may not always respond to comments but I do read them. I enjoy receiving reactions I don't fully expect and reactions I also hope for. :)


	4. Intermission number 2: 7 years and 1 month old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Howard’s cause of death was removed via black permanent marker but was then replaced with a hastily done hand-written note, matching Maria’s cause of death. 
> 
> “They were assassinated.” Steve whispered hoarsely, his heart trying to beat out of his chest as the barrage of emotions swirled inside him. Tony lost his parents and Steve lost two of his closest friends because someone wanted them dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, the chapter count went up to 6. There will be another intermission chapter after this so the gaps will be filled. I started this for a fluffy shit but I ended up killing Howard and Maria and, well, just leaving it at that doesn't feel right to me, soooo.
> 
> I've also added another tag, in case it wasn't a given that there will be quite an age gap between Tony and Bucky.

“Steve, stay. We need to talk.” Steve turned at the doorway, an eyebrow raised. Nothing good ever came out of those words, especially in  _that_  tone Peggy just used. So he closed the door, locked it, just in case, and walked back to the chair he was sitting on earlier. They’ve just finished debrief after his latest mission with Agent Coulson and to be frank, he was itching to get back home so he can read to Tony.

(Tony hasn’t outgrown wanting to be read to at night, thank god.)

“What’s up?” He inquired when Peggy seemed to have become lost to her thoughts, staring at her desk. She looked shaken, as if all her defences have finally fallen, as if she was exhausted of keeping up the façade, which, admittedly, was quite worrying.

Peggy sighed, as if she was stilling herself. “We’ve been investigating Howard and Maria’s death.” She replied softly, eyes still on the desk. He wasn’t sure where the conversation was heading but from that sentence alone, he knew it couldn’t be good.

“Why?” He asked when it looked like she wasn’t going to continue.

Peggy sighed and opened her desk drawer, pulling out a thick file. She put it on the table and waved her hand, a gesture to tell him he should read it. “Did you know Howard’s been trying to recreate the Super Soldier Serum?” Steve’s head snapped up, suddenly alert. He wasn’t aware his friend has reopened the program. When Peggy saw his face, she shook her head. “Not the exact replica. I’m pretty sure it’d be practically impossible without Erskine.”

Steve felt betrayed, in a way. Howard had told him there was no need for the project to be continued,  _it could also mean bad things, in the wrong hands_ , he remembered the other man say, eyes staring in space. Naively, Steve had believed his friend. When he volunteered for the project, it was a desperate time—they were at war and every advantage available was necessary. Creating human weapons toed the line between having fail-safes in case of war and being a power-hungry conqueror. He hoped it was the former but knowing his fellowmen, it was too close to the latter for comfort. 

The touch of Peggy’s hand on his snapped him out of his musings and he realised the file he was holding was now crinkled. He dropped it as if he had been burned. 

“I know what you’re thinking but I can assure you it isn’t like that.” Peggy’s voice was soft but firm. She flipped the pages with her free hand, keeping the other on top of his to help him remain grounded. Finally, she stopped on a page with two pictures of a dark-haired little girl with soft almond eyes. On what of the photos, the girl was an unhealthy hue of pale, she was a little gaunt and her head was shaved. On the second one, there was a healthy flush on her cheeks, her face filled a little more with baby fat Steve typically associated with healthy children and her hair was thick on her little head. It was obvious this showed a before and after shot of the child. He wasn’t sure which was which but from his own knowledge of the project, he had some ideas. 

“After closing the weapons side of SI, Howard started focusing more on what he can contribute to the medical field.” Peggy continued, finally letting his hand go. It was only then Steve realised how tense he actually was. “He was trying to get close to it, just enough to help the immune system fight off strong diseases and hasten the healing process.” She continued, eye-contact unwavering. 

“You knew about this.” He stated, now seeing Peggy’s confidence for what it actually was. 

“I did. Howard and I do have the highest clearance and it was a need-to-know basis project.” She replied with a smirk. He really should have accepted that promotion.

Steve sighed but there was a small smile on his face. He still felt betrayed but in a way, he was relieved the project was restarted for something  _good_  and not just to get an edge. He’d probably use this betrayal against Peggy at some point, just to get a little even, but he would let it go for now. 

(Later, after reading the full report, he’d realise Peggy didn’t tell him the whole truth about the project, only what was necessary to calm him down. He was going to admit, even just to himself, it was a great tactical move. Tony’s room was right beside his and losing his temper would not be okay. 

The fact it was made to simply help with the healing process was a comfort.)

“Why are you telling me this now?” Steve asked, aware there must be reason Peggy was breaking protocol. When Peggy’s face turned sombre, Steve felt himself sit straighter. For her to look the way she was looking now, he knew it was serious. 

“We had suspicions Howard and Maria’s deaths were not accidental.” She began, pulling another file from her desk, passing it to him. He decided not to comment on how they kept their suspicions a secret from him and started flipping through. “We found the flat tire odd because Howard always double checks the cars he used—whether it was a rental or his own, he makes sure _everything_  is working  _perfectly_.”

As Steve listened, he reached the parts of the report which was never shared to the public.

The information on Maria and Howard’s deaths caught his attention.

> **Howard** **Anthony** **Stark**
> 
> _COD_ _:_ ~~_Cerebral_ _Haemorrhage_ ~~ _Cardiac Arrest_ _(_ _LC/MS/MS_ _)_ _A_ _conitine - (+)_
> 
> **Maria** **Collins** **Carbonell** **Stark**
> 
> _COD:_ _Cardia_ _c_ _Arrest (_ _LC/MS/MS_ _)_ _A_ _conitine - (+)_

Howard’s cause of death was removed via black permanent marker but was then replaced with a hastily done hand-written note, matching Maria’s cause of death.

“They were assassinated.” Steve whispered hoarsely, his heart trying to beat out of his chest as the barrage of emotions swirled inside him. Tony lost his parents and Steve lost two of his closest friends because  _someone_  wanted them dead.

“Yes. Sloppily, might I add, but only because we were quickly made aware of the,  _accident_.” Peggy grimaced, “It seems they had a traitor in their midst.”

Steve’s hands twitched, the desire to clench his fists was palpable. He understood what Peggy meant. Any decent assassination would assure there would be no evidence left and yet the car was intact, leaving it and the bodies open for further investigation.

"I'm assuming you know who..." Steve broke off, not wanting to say the words. Moving from their deaths three years ago was one thing, knowing they died in an accident, but a whole other thing finding out someone  _wanted_  them dead.

Peggy's eyes tighten, lips pursed and in his periphery, he could see how tightly clenched her fists were. "Yes." She paused, hesitant, which Steve didn’t find encouraging at all. "We have someone in our custody now." Before Steve can respond, she shook her head and simply stood, silently asking him to follow her. When they got to the elevator, Peggy pressed her access card against the space above the floor numbers, a panel he never knew existed opened. Three buttons were shown—Peggy pressed the one in the middle.

"How many secrets would I have known if I accepted that promotion?" Steve asked as the elevator moved.

Peggy smirked, "Too many to mention, to be honest. _"_  Steve sighed and remained quiet.

The elevator dinged and opened. He tried to hide his surprise when rows upon rows of glass doors welcomed him, the same one he remembered Howard showing him, testing with him,  _this could hold a super soldier_ , he remembered Howard say,  _I'm trying to strengthen it further, so our soldiers can still great_ _defence_ _, even without my weapons_.

He had so many questions but he held his tongue. Now wasn't the time.

A few more moments later, Peggy stopped in front of one of the glass doors,  _prison_ , he thought,  _this is a prison for people like me_. Inside the room was a man with shoulder-length hair, perhaps slightly longer. He had broad shoulders and, from the exposed arms, quite muscled, _a fighter_ , he thought to realized,  _probably a spy or an assassin_ , he observed, seeing as the muscles were enough for extra strength but lean enough for agility and subtlety.

All of his observation was shot to hell when the man turned to face them.

" _Bucky_ _?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be taking a break from posting because my laptop is broken. I'd still be writing this, don't worry. I have an MS word that's connected to my dropbox on my phone so it won't be a problem. I might still take a while to finish, though, because I'm the idiot who decided to stop taking her anti-depressants--well, I didn't _decide_ to stop but I didn't tell my parents I was out of my meds. I think they still think I'm just asking for attention or something and I'm pretty sure they're just humoring me. Ey, maybe they think depression is a phase? Idk. But I probably won't be seeing my therapist again until I get the hell out of their home and see him in secret.
> 
> Peace out!
> 
> PS: Sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger. I'm a dick, I know. But continuing that train of thought just felt off. This chapter is simply about Steve finding out the accident was actually an assassination.


	5. 15 years and 11 months old to 17 years and two months old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve wished this moment would last forever, that he didn’t have to let his boy go when the song would inevitably end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup. I'm alive. Sorry for the wait. I guess me almost being selectively mute was a wakeup call to my parents. Also, it might be 7 or 8 chapters long, depending on how I divide it. Sooooo. Read on.
> 
> This isn't edited and I don't have a beta so I'm sorry or any mistakes.

No matter how much Steve wanted to keep Tony with him, he knew letting the boy go to MIT would be best for him. The university was well-known for the program Tony has been dying for and one of the professors was his hero. Moreover, Steve knew the boy needed friends outside of their immediate circle and had to be independent at some point.

Didn’t mean he had to be happy about it.

“ _Dad_.” Tony’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. The boy sounded exasperated and, though Tony wouldn’t admit it, fond, as if he could read Steve’s mind. He put the shirt he was folding and walked up to Steve, wrapping his arms around the blond’s waist, his cheek resting on the older man’s chest. Steve, always a sucker for Tony hugs, immediately wrapped his arms around the young man. Tony was still a head shorter than Steve so he comfortably put his head on top of the younger man.

(It’s been over seven years since Tony started addressing him as ‘dad’ and still, Steve got a thrill out of it. He always introduced Tony as his son and the boy always introduced him as his father.)

“You know I can come home, like, every week, right?” Tony’s voice was slightly muffled by Steve’s shirt. The young man pulled away, just enough to be able to look at the older man and continued, “I mean, we’re loaded! I can take a plane and be here in under an hour. And the drive isn’t _that_ long either.”

Steve sighed and placed a quick kiss on the boy’s forehead. He ran both hands through Tony’s hair, smoothing the unruly curls back. “I know, but it’s not the same as having you here.” He slid his hands down the back of the boy’s neck, gently cupping his face between his index fingers and thumbs. “It’ll be too quiet with just me, Edwin and Anna. This house just feels too big without your presence. Knowing you won’t be here to welcome me after a mission just makes me feel a little empty. I don’t know if your classmates will treat you right, since you’re much younger than practically all of them.”

Steve sighed and pressed another kiss on Tony’s forehead, lingering this time, his words said against the boy’s skin. “I know I have to let you go at some point, but it doesn’t mean I like it.” His thumbs started gently stroking Tony’s cheeks. “I can’t keep you here because there’s so much I can’t teach you, things you need to learn on your own and ones you need to learn from someone else.”

Tony buried his face back against Steve’s chest, pressing his forehead deeply against the muscle he’s leaning against, as if he wanted to disappear into the blond.

“Stop. You’re going to make me cry.” The boy’s words were muffled but Steve heard them. He chuckled softly, perhaps a little forced.

“Sorry.” He replied thickly. He knew Tony would be fine. He’s always had a certain charm about him which drew people in. He was practically a carbon copy of both Maria and Howard, smart and charming and just that little bit sophisticated, with a little bit of Steve’s strong sense of morality thrown in there. Moreover, they had SHIELD agents going undercover to protect the boy. Logically, Steve knew Tony would be fine, but being a parent has forced him to throw all reason away.

They stayed that way until Edwin came up to scold them for taking too long, quickly finishing the packing they stopped doing but they can both see the older man’s eyes were a little watery.

Steve wasn’t lying when he said he knew he had to let Tony go at some point. The boy had the whole world in front of him to travel and learn and _change_.

*

Tony called every week and came home every month. His school load was packed so he could graduate early but he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. He’s met a few friends but he seemed to have taken quite a liking to his roommate, Rhodes.

It didn’t take Steve a long time to realize Tony _might_ have a little bit of a crush. That awe-struck face wasn’t too different from when he begged Steve for a Bucky story.

(He knew Tony has one of Bucky’s photos framed and on his bedside drawer, and another in his wallet. Steve gave those to him as a birthday present, knowing how much the boy adored his best friend.)

He’s met Rhodes a few times, whenever he decided to surprise Tony at MIT. He seemed like a decent man and seemed to genuinely care for his son. He was smart and could easily keep up with Tony’s wit. He had a strong sense of morality but a self-preservation instinct that wasn’t fully developed yet. He seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, though, tensing for a fight whenever his skin colour, his family background or his scholarship was mentioned offhandedly, but Steve could see he was never one to look for a fight. Rhodes was a man who seemed to be preparing to defend himself if worse turned to worst.

If the young man wasn’t tragically straight, he’d probably be planning how to get them together when Tony turned eighteen.

*

“You _have_ to teach me how to dance.”

Steve’s eyebrows rose as he entered his room to see Tony waiting for him. He hasn’t even put his shield down yet it seemed he had another crisis to avert.

“Hello to you, too.” He replied dryly, unzipping his jacket as he placed the shield in its glass case. He could see his son roll his eyes and plop on the bed with a dramatic sigh.

“ _Daaaaad_.” Tony whined. “You’re not seeing the point here.”

Steve tried to hide the smile from his voice. His kid can be overdramatic sometimes. “And what, exactly, is the point?” he asked as he took a pair of shorts to change into. He’s already showered back at SHIELD but he always preferred wearing shorts at home.

“The _point,_ ” Tony said as he sat up, and Steve could hear the emphasis on the word ‘point’ “is that Rhodey asked me to come with him to his sister’s wedding and was promised a dance.” Before Steve could ask, Tony quickly added, “And no, it’s not a date-date. It’s a friend-date and it’s a small ceremony so no one will care if we dance together.”

The boy looked a little bummed but quite happy as well, so Steve simply smirked and said, “You should have agreed to dance lessons Edwin suggested.” Tony opened his mouth, no doubt to show his displeasure but the blond quickly added, “Come on.” He walked out of his room with the sound of Tony’s sputters. His room was big but it wasn’t for dancing.

He pushed some furniture aside in the living room as he waited for his son to gather his wits then turned on the radio. He recognized the [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu6pclWsxzs) playing but couldn’t place the artist. It would be fine for dancing, though so he left it at that.

When Tony finally emerged, Steve took a bow, the same way he did when Tony was four and asking for a dance lesson so he could dance with Prince Bucky. It felt like it was only yesterday when he twirled Tony in his arms.

The boy—young _man_ —froze for a moment then took a bow himself. Steve extended a hand, a silent question, as Tony straightened up. He took his father’s hand and danced along the music playing on the radio.

Steve wished this moment would last forever, that he didn’t have to let his boy go when the song would inevitably end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll get back to Bucky in the next chapter, so no worries. That would be another intermission chapter and I just wanted to make the story progress.


	6. Intermission number 3: 7 years and 10 months

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Tony addressed Steve as dad, the blond was practically having a breakdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, ma peeeps.

The first time Tony addressed Steve as _dad_ , the blond was practically having a breakdown.

Tony hasn’t been kidnapped in a while since the Starks died, mostly due to sudden increase of security Steve and S.H.I.E.L.D. has placed to make sure the boy was going to be safe.

Tony was, quite literally, the most protected boy in the US. Anyone who even _tried_ were quickly disposed of.

Unfortunately, Hydra didn’t get the memo.

There was no demand for ransom and it’s been almost a week. They clearly had other plans for the boy.

Steve was rechecking his gear just to have something to do with his hands when Peggy’s voice filtered through his awareness. “Are you sure about this, Steve?” she shot a meaningful glance at Bucky who was double checking his gear as well but with more clinical precision.

If he was being completely honest, he wasn’t a hundred percent sure either, but he trusted Bucky with his life and in the short time they’ve had the other man, Bucky has come a long way.

(“I didn’t do it.” Those were Bucky’s first words, voice hoarse and low. He has never spoken until Steve’s seventeenth visit, the first one notwithstanding.

Steve was telling him about what Tony did to his computer, making the machine go faster. He always had a Tony-story to tell Bucky, simply because the boy was currently the highlight of his days. At first, his mind didn’t process the fact Bucky spoke—the other man has always remained silent whenever he visited, a few stories ready in his head. When his mind did process that Bucky spoke for the first time, he simple sat there, stunned, staring at the brunet.

Bucky was looking at the ground and if it wasn’t for the sudden tension in his body that was never there before, Steve would have brushed it off, thinking he was imagining things.

“What?” Steve blurted, not really knowing what else to say. He caught as Bucky shot him a glance.

“Howard.” The brunet’s head was lowered, his long hair shielding most of his face but Steve could tell the other man was looking at him. “I shot the car but I—” he took a shaky breath, his shoulders seemingly hunching further, which didn’t seem possible at all. He took another breath, this one steadier, and looked up at Steve, his gaze unwavering, a contrast to how his voice took a pleading tone when he said, “I couldn’t kill them.”

And Steve believed him.)

“No.” There was no point in lying; Peggy knew him too well. He glanced at Bucky, aware there’s a possibility the other man could hear them, if his sense of hearing was as good as Steve’s, but he was willing to let everything out in the open. He turned his gaze back on her. “But right now we don’t have a choice. I can’t risk Tony’s life by going in practically blind and no,” he quickly added before Peggy could tell him they could make a better plan, “we can’t wait any longer because lord knows what they could be doing to him right now.” He felt his fists clench at the thought of Tony, possibly being tortured at seven. If this was a movie, they would just leave the child underfed and filthy in a room somewhere but left unharmed. This was real life, though, and he knew Hydra would not hesitate to torture a child, just to get what they wanted.

He saw Peggy’s jaws clench, obviously not liking the idea of depending on a former Hydra assassin, may he be a friend from before or not. They were both aware, though, that Bucky was their best choice at retrieving Tony unharmed. The man had certain familiarities with Hydra that neither he nor Peggy had.

Steve simply hoped it truly was the right decision.

*

They were doing well with the mission; they’ve successfully infiltrated the base without sounding the alarm and they’ve got information they need to rescue Tony. He was hopeful he’d have his godson in his arms before anyone from Hydra—the ones who were still alive, at least—noticed.

He should have learned to stop letting his guard down too early.

When they entered the room Tony was supposed to be in, a series of words, possibly Russian, maybe German, were said in quick succession. He felt someone move quickly past him and realized it was Bucky when the other man suddenly stopped and responded in possibly the same language.

He felt his blood freeze when Bucky turned, gun raised and pointed at him, after the voice spoke once more. Flicking his eyes over the brunet’s shoulder, he saw two other people with them, a man and a woman; one holding Tony at gunpoint and the other had her gun pointed at Bucky.

“We get our soldier back, you get the boy, yes?” the one holding Tony spoke, tightening his hold, making the boy whimper.

“Dad.” Tony sniffed, tears in his eyes. Steve scanned and took note of the boy’s injuries; his fingers looked dislocated, but he couldn’t be too sure, his temple was bleeding quite heavily and there was dried blood on his left shoulder.

Steve wanted— _wants_ —to tear the Hydra scum who’s holding his boy limb from limb. Literally. Respect for women be damned. Anyone who joins a Nazi group doesn’t deserve respect.

“Hey, baby.” He whispered, ignoring Bucky’s gun pointing at him. He hoped they didn’t notice Peggy, Agent Fury and Agent Coulson behind him. The two looked confident holding guns but they looked like they there for their brains, not their muscles. “I’m gonna get you out of here, okay?” he let the tremble in voice be heard, hoping they’d think help was far.

“We just want the soldier.” The woman added, her voice firm and her accent seemed American but he couldn’t care less because that was when all hell broke loose.

He has a god—a _son_ , to protect.

*

Tony was _finally_ in his arms, asleep but fine. He didn’t want to let the boy go, too afraid of losing him again. His nerves were frayed and he was exhausted, but he was relieved Tony was safe. Perhaps there more scars left to his baby boy but he was going to be okay. That was all that mattered.

“I’m sorry.” Steve flinched, forgetting his best friend for a moment. He looked dead, his eyes were blood shot and his dark circles looked like smudged eyeliner.

“I know.” He replied. He was perhaps a little angry because Bucky didn’t tell them much about the programming besides that he was going to be fine. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. “But we wouldn’t have found Tony without your help, so it’s going to be fine.”

They were silent for a moment, then, “I’m too dangerous, Steve.” His voice was tired, resigned, yet the blond couldn’t help himself but agree. Until they find a way to remove the programming, Bucky was a liability and a danger to those around him.

“What do you want to do?” he asked. They shared a look and it was decided.

For the next nine years, Bucky was in and out of cryo as they figured out how to get rid of the triggers.


End file.
